Author: orthodoxaustralia

Dear Alexey–

Enclosed, at last, is my working over of Part I of the evolution [book] (which I read this morning to Fr. Herman, and he approved). (I finally got my “two days in Valaam,”) This should be (once you revise the later sections) just about a “next-to last” version. All of this material (including the last section which I didn’t send you, on “How Evolution Came to Be”) should comprise Part I of the book, as in the enclosed outline. I want to revise “How Evolution Came to Be” and insert many of my own notes on Western intellectual history of the past several centuries, which I won’t do for a little while, however. Then all that remains is the patristic section, for which I need at least a “week in Valaam” — hopefully at least part of it during the summer. Could you type your final version of Part I in 2 copies and keep one yourself for a while? We would hate for it to be lost in the mail when it’s been worked on so much, and also I’d like to show it to someone else for comments — perhaps to Kalomiros, perhaps to a friend [Zavarin] of ours in S. F. with scientific training (who is pro-evolutionist).

Christopher left us two days ago for the first leg of his pilgrimage, to Canada. He got worse before he left, just plain defiantly lazy and self-willed, and I gave up on him; but Fr. Herman gave him a real talking-to, with the result that he got scared and now has asked us to help him get on the path to salvation. He is supposed to return in 3 weeks and undertake a “course” under Fr. Herman together with the new convert [Symeon Hill] from LA (whom Susan met here on her last visit). But God knows whether he’ll return, or how much he really wants to struggle. Most of our converts seem so weak, almost ready to collapse at a moment’s notice; which means the rest of us must struggle the harder, and when possible, drag some of the weaker ones along! We can see in John the same spiritual outlook which produces the older “weaklings,” and in fact Christopher say himself in John. John has improved in many ways, but requires discipline in order to keep him for relapsing into total laziness.

I’m sending separately the Scientific Creationism book, from which you could profitably take a number of points and quotes, as indicated in my notes.

I’ll try to get some Kireyevsky notes to you in a week. But please don’t use the Starets Lev article yet — it undoubtedly requires some revision from other sources.

Pray for us. The summer looks to be busy, and keeping a community of 5 or 6 or more “weaklings” in order requires much energy. We keep hoping that out of all this “crop” of young converts there will turn out to be one or two with the possibility of developing his own backbone and being of use to others, but so far there isn’t any such one.

With love in Christ,
Seraphim, monk

Dear Brother in Christ, Alexey,
CHRIST IS RISEN!

Enclosed is a new letter from Alexander Kalomiros. The news that our “Greeks” have broken off contact with him is most distressing, though no longer unexpected. This breathes a most unhealthy “party spirit.” Just the other day we received a “semi-open” letter of Fr. Mamas to Fr. George Grabbe, protesting Metr. Philaret’s signature together «with Ireney and Iakovos on an appeal for help to “dissidents” in Russia. This didn’t particularly disturb us, although we can see how it might be disturbing to some, especially in view of the vagueness of church awareness today — but the letter of Fr. Mamas has the same spirit as Fr. Ephraim’s letter to you — “teachy,” superior, condescending, “expert.” Further, Fr. Panteleimon publicly “rebuked” Metr. Philaret (even though gently) at a banquet in the latter’s honor, to which the Metropolitan (supposedly) humbly apologized. On sensitive questions like this which do not directly affect the purity of Orthodoxy, one would prefer to see less self-assurance and more humility. What of the time several years ago when Holy Transfiguration Monastery painted an icon of St. Gregory the Theologian and gave it to Billy Graham’s magazine to print? Some were scandalized at this, but I’m sure Fr. Panteleimon was ready, not with a humble apology, but with an expert “You see, it’s this way….” I’m afraid Dr. Kalomiros’ words on “group pride” are very much to the point, and it spells danger ahead. We much prefer Dr. Kalomiros’ own agonizing, suffering approach to the preservation of True Orthodoxy — it is not at all an easy, idle thing to stand for the truth, as the tone of the Boston “open letters” seems to indicate.

It seems we’ve aroused Dr. Kalomiros to write a book on Genesis! I certainly hope it is in a different spirit from his old epistle to us on evolution! Which again reminds us that our evolution book is dragging…

In general, we are most sympathetically disposed toward Dr. K. and his lonely, difficult struggle. The Russian situation is difficult enough, but the Greek is impossible!

Probably you have received the “semi-open” letter to us from Fr. Alexander Lebed. We plan a brief reply, mostly quoting Vladika Averky, whose idea (and not our own) it is to use the term “True Orthodox.” What a relief it is not to have to dig up our own arguments, but to leave it to those older and wiser. I suppose we’ll have to send copies to the people he sent his letter to, even though we don’t much like the idea.

Christopher will probably be leaving shortly for Seattle. I’m afraid we can’t help him much. He’s not interested in studying at Jordanville at all, and in fact seems to have become “bored” and “tired” (!!!) of Orthodoxy — too much “struggle” for him. Paul, alas, has much the same problem, and even the tremendously inspiring translation work we gave him for the summer fails to interest him. (If only he has the guts to finish it anyway and set it up on the linotype, we will have a splendid new book!) How can one be bored when there’s so much to learn and do that a lifetime isn’t enough for it?!! If only God will give us a few more years to get out some more publications! We are getting many signs of response from readers, encouraging us to give as much as possible while there is time. The fall of Saigon has hit us deeply — the ambiguity of the post-war period seems to be clearing up, and the Communist “wave of the future” is swelling up!

I glanced through Fr. George Lewis’ article on “Sex Education” and found it not very interesting — probably because he begins with the world and never leaves off a very matter-of-fact, pedestrian approach to the question. On the contrary, we should begin with the Holy Fathers and raise the mind above the world before entering into battle.

Must get to work. Tomorrow, God willing, the last page of the new OW is finished.

With love in Christ,

Dear Dr. Kalomiros,

Please forgive our long delay in replying to your last letter, which we read with great interest. Yes, these are very dangerous times for all of us, and no “jurisdiction” can regard itself as “safe” from the many temptations which the devil is preparing for us. From the latest issue of The Orthodox Word (Nov.-Dec.) you will see the latest temptation which came to our Russian Church Abroad. Some of our bishops, being under the influence of Solzhenitsyn (who says many good things but is certainly not very aware of church matters), suddenly got the idea of “uniting” with the two schismatic groups in America and Paris. Several bishops have told us themselves that the epistle sent to these groups was very poorly and hastily done, without even mention of the necessity to be one in the Truth. As a result, the Metropolia in America jumped at the opportunity to seduce us into having communion with them, and we really feared (at the time we wrote the article on the Catacomb Church and Metropolitan Theodosius) there might be some kind of hasty “union,” which would be disastrous for the cause of True Orthodoxy, and would have caused a schism, even if perhaps only a few would have been bold enough to separate from this “union.” Now, glory be to God, our Metropolitan Philaret has come out with a strong statement that communion is impossible; but the Metropolia certainly won the propaganda battle in the Russian newspapers by showing how lacking in “love” we are for refusing to have communion with them — as if we hate Christ Himself? The ordinary Russian people are unaware enough to fall for that kind of propaganda; but alas, this whole thing was the fault of our well-meaning but unaware church figures who are very much under the influence of intellectual fashion. Others of our bishops are aware, however, and there was even one case where one bishop who was in favor of union with the Metropolia was not allowed to serve in the dioceses of another bishop.

We ourselves are greatly pained to see such unawareness of what is happening in the world and the Church. It would really be best for us if the Moscow Patriarchate would “excommunicate” us and the whole of “world Orthodoxy” would cut us off; then some of our people would fall into apostasy, but the rest would be stronger.

We are sending you separately our new publication, Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future. Soon we hope to have another book finished, and God willing we will be producing more in these critical times. We ask your prayers for us, and very much look forward to receiving your letter on “Evolution.”

With love in Christ,

Dear Christopher,
Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Please forgive our long silence, and this poor note. We’ve had very difficult times, with unbe-lievable snow falls (nearly 4 feet in one day the first week of Lent) and much pressure of work to get caught up. The enemy works full time, and so we must keep struggling too to make True Orthodoxy known. But we give thanks to God for everything, and deep down we are peaceful.

Enclosed are Thomas’ pictures of your Baptism. At your request we also took some pictures in the snow and will send when ready. We have a picture of Thomas leaping from the roof into the snow also, but he sent it away and we’ll have to get a copy.

We are all well after some winter flu. Paul Bartlett the new convert has been with us for a month in order to find out “what to do” with his life. If our converts will only keep the fear of God in their hearts and resolve to serve God no matter what — then all trials and temptations can be surmounted and they can save their souls.

We look forward to your visit this summer. Until then, go one step at a time and don’t allow discouragement into the heart. God is with us, as we sing every night in our Lenten services.

Do you have the Ladder of St. John, or the Desert Fathers? You should be reading some such spiritual book during Lent — we are reading them during morning church services.

Our weather is still cold, but hopefully our garden will be started soon.

Forgive me and all us poor sinners, and pray for us. I’ll write again sooner.

With love in Christ,
Seraphim, monk

[Note from Fr. Herman:] Beloved infant! Cheer up! You are a true Christian, remember that the Kingdom of God is yours if you’ll endure a bit more. We are sending you the Ladder anyway. See to it you have it read before Pascha. Where are you going to be at Pascha? Can’t you take a trip to S.F. for it? To receive Holy Communion?

Dear Alexey,
Greetings on the Feast! Here are some notes on one or two points:

Fr. Panteleimon on birth control: He’s off! And the reason for this is precisely what we are trying to get: he does not have that Orthodox philosophy that Kireyevsky strove for. “It isn’t in the Scriptures or Fathers or canons” — therefore we are free to “rationalize” about it — which means, give way to worldly influences. He rationalizes a “middle path” between Augustinism and license; but why start ones reasoning from these false poles? Not having read Augustine, I can only say that from this summary of his position (that sexual union is permitted in marriage only when the partners have the conscious intention to have children therefrom) is, again, a rationalistic extreme which does not in the least invalidate what seems to us to be the quite obvious Orthodox teaching. Is such a conscious intention required of couples when the woman is beyond normal child-bearing age? That could hardly be — and yet many holy children have been born to pious couples beyond the normal child-bearing age! Of course there is something more to sexual union than the producing of children — but Orthodox teaching does not artificially separate different aspects of this question and allow a deliberate interference with the natural process, while preserving (as some Orthodox theologians are now saying) some “higher purpose” in sexual union while using contraceptives.» Even R.C. “rhythm” is a, rationalistic device and not without sin — though obviously of a lesser degree than “artificial” means.

The widespread confusion on this whole issue seems to come from a failure to understand the real Orthodox teaching on sexuality — it is not “holy,” but neither is it evil. The Lives of Saints alone, without any Patristic treatises, should teach us the Orthodox position: that sexual union, while blessed by the Church and fulfilling a commandment of the Creator, is still a part of man’s animal nature and is, in fallen humanity, inevitably bound up with sin. This should not shock us if we stop to think that such a necessary thing as eating is also almost invariably bound up with sin — who of us is perfectly continent in food and drink, the thorough master of his belly? Sin is not a category of specific acts such that, if we refrain from them, we become “sinless” — but rather a kind of web which ensnares us and from which we can never really get free in this life. The more deeply one lives Orthodoxy, the more sinful he feels himself to be — because he sees more clearly this web with which his life is intertwined; the person, thus, who commits fewer sins feels himself to be more sinful than one who commits more!

The Fathers state specifically, by the way, that Adam and Eve did not have sexual union (nor, of course, eat meat) in Paradise. I believe Thomas Aquinas says that they did — which would accord with the RC doctrine of human nature.

All of this should one day be written out and printed, with abundant illustrations from the Holy Fathers and Lives of Saints — together with the whole question of sexuality — abortion, natural and unnatural sins, pornography, homosexuality, etc. With Scriptural and Patristic sources, this could be done carefully and without offensiveness, but clearly. Frankly, you are the logical candidate to do it — but it should be allowed to ripen in you for a while before coming out.

Enough on this subject; you are correct, by the way, that it is better for such things to be printed by laymen than monks!

About John Kraft: we more or less agreed with him that we would take him for the summer, although we weren’t absolutely definite yet, since we fear above all that he will learn to “take us for granted” — in which case he hasn’t anywhere else to turn. I told him that if he comes he will have to go to “summer school” — to be held in Valaam. What I have in mind specifically is this: to give him a real “course” this summer in world history, in rather the way I learned it in high school — a notebook with outlines, maps, reports, etc. If he can get interested enough to do this mostly on his own, I think there is hope for him, and we could keep him longer; if not, I don’t know what to do. In my time this was a tenth-grade course. Probably today’s textbooks are a fright. Could you help look up some standard textbook or books on the high school level? I recall a good one (Bury? Mommsen?) on Greece and Rome, probably no longer used. Also: could you get some blank maps such as we used to use to fill in names of rivers and cities, national boundaries, etc.? — Mediterranean region, perhaps Egypt-Assyria, etc. and any other “aids” you can think of for a serious study especially of ancient history in the traditional sense (Egypt to Rome)? I have hope that he might respond to such a course — but only God knows.

It has been snowing again — just enough today to make a beautiful mantle for the Annunciation. Pray for us.

With love in Christ,
Seraphim, monk

P.s. We’ve just received Metr. Philaret’s final reply to the Metropolia — a superb statement with an incident from the Life of Blessed Xenia (suggested by Vladika Andrew of Novo-Diveyevo) that absolutely flabbergasted Metr. Ireney (“How could you print such a thing!?”) — we won’t have part with you until you get the dead rat out of the honey barrel! God willing, we will print it in the next issue.

Dear Maria [Kraft],
Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are glad to hear that John was somewhat better when he returned home, [word missing] you ask if he can stay with us for the whole school year. I will tell you right away that this is quite impossible and would do him no good at all. We could have someone so young stay with us longer than a week or two only on condition that he were extremely mature and could be trusted far beyond his years. We observed John closely when he was here, and he does not come up to this standard. Unfortunately, we do not have the possibility to be nursemaids for difficult children, and the conditions of the local school will not help him either. The only way we can help him is the way we told him before he left: if he strives to do better at home and school and act more mature, it will be possible for him to visit us for a short time later on, and then we will observe his behavior again. For any child to obtain benefit from staying with us, he must look up to his visit as a reward for good behavior, and not something he can receive automatically. It is better that our monastery remain for John a place where he might one day receive help when he really needs it, rather than a place where he learned to take the Church for granted because we were too kind-hearted to deprive him of it for his misbehavior. Let John at least preserve the idea of our monastery as a “last hope” in the difficult years that lie ahead of him.

We realize that raising your three boys is very difficult for you. But that is the Cross God has given you, and I must tell you frankly that you can scarcely receive your salvation in any other way than by trying your best to raise them up well. Spiritual life begins when things seem absolutely “hopeless” — that is when one learns to turn to God and not to our own feeble efforts and ideas. Let the boys go to church in the Convent next door — the contact with the Church atmosphere has an unseen effect that is much more important than any outward deficiencies in icons, etc.

Please pray for us.

With love in Christ our Saviour,
Seraphim, monk

Dear Brother in Christ, Alexey,

Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ. Enclosed is the tape on the new installment of Kireyevsky, on the Holy Fathers. The most important and difficult installment, of course, is the next and last one: on Kireyevsky’s “new principles for philosophy,” which has been valued by no one that we know of except Kontzevitch. We feel it is very appropriate precisely to the present-day “spiritual awakening” in Russia, which is not taking the Holy Fathers for its basis and will simply be another exercise in “Western influence” if it doesn’t.

We’ve found out that there was a letter from our Bishops concerning the new calendar church of Greece — it was a private letter, and it seems that its wording was ambiguous enough to cause more disputes (I believe it says that the calendar dispute “caused a schism” instead of directly saying who the schismatics are). In general the Church questions today are just not as simple as they used to be, at least as they are in our comfortable historical perspective, and many submerged rocks lie ahead. An important key to the whole church situation seems to lie precisely in “Sergianism,” which will become a sharper issue than ever now that the Catacomb Church of Russia begins to make itself known and felt again. The heart of Sergianism is bound up with the common problem of all the Orthodox Churches today — the losing of the savor of Orthodoxy, taking the Church for granted, taking the “organization” for the Body of Christ, trusting that Grace and the Mysteries are somehow “automatic.” Logic and reasonable behavior are not going to get us over these rocks; much suffering and experience are required, and few will understand.

Luke Walmsley was very much uplifted and encouraged by his visit to Etna, and evidently it was so arranged by God’s Providence, which is unfathomable. He has suffered so much from people who took the Church cruelly for granted, simply did not value it — and the sight of strugglers living in the world was very good for him. Please pray especially for him; his path is still very difficult ahead.

Our road is finally open all the way, and Susan should be able to come up all the way if it doesn’t rain in the next two days. We expect to see her on Wednesday with Paul? Apparently we will be seeing Nina this weekend. May God grant her the struggling and suffering through to bring forth real fruits, without getting bogged down in the mire of rational thinking and solutions. If only we do not think we know too much, there is hope for us; there are many signs that God is with His small flock even in these terrible times.

Pray for us.

With love in Christ our Saviour,
Seraphim, monk

P.s. Many thanks for your kind hospitality. May God grant you prosperity in your “building” on all levels.

P.p.s. All the people we know in Greece are in the Auxentios Synod — Dr. Kalomiros, Father Theodoritos, Esphigmenou Monastery, etc., and the Russians we know on Mt. Athos warn us against the Matthewites. We should be very careful with regard to them, no matter what “reasonable explanations” we might hear about them. May God grant us to understand each other with the heart and not just the brain.

Dear Father Michael [Azkoul],
Evlogeite!

Here at last is the material I promised you on Bulgakov. Please forgive the long delay. I hope it is not too late for you to use it. Since you already have much material on Bulgakov, this material might be more in the nature of a footnote or an afterthought somewhere. Use it as you think fit.

We are very interested in your book — by the way, do you have a publisher for it? In connection with the contemporary revival of religio-philosophical thought in Russia, it is very important for a book like yours to come out. Too long has everyone bowed down to these sacred cows who are called Orthodox by a criminal misuse of language. Your book will be all the more welcome in that it comes from an “outsider,” and “objective observer” who is not involved in the disputes and passions of Russian intellectual society.

We ourselves are planning a book on a similar theme (to be printed in installments in The Orthodox Word) in connection with the appearance of the new book from Russia which Solzhenitsyn is advertising so widely. — ”Iz pod glyb” (From Under the Ruins, I think, is the English tide, to be out soon). This is a collection of articles by Solzhenitsyn and samizdat writers which Solzhenitsyn compares to Berdyaevs “ Vekhi’ of 1909. I’ve read it, and it’s not really bad — only one article in the Berdyaev spirit — but it’s obvious that the authors are not rooted in the real Orthodox tradition. And so we want to give a background for this and “Vekhi” by giving a kind of capsule survey of the Russian intelligentsia in the 20th century, as against the real Orthodox tradition in the past 75 years. There have been a number of sensitive genuinely Orthodox Russian thinkers in this century, and several excellent theologians — hardly any of whom are known in English and who are successfully drowned out by the “static” from the “Paris Orthodoxy” — that’s the name N. Struve gives their movement in the new Vestnik of Paris. By the way, what do you think of Struve’s statement in the same Vestnik: (in answer To Metr. Philaret’s answer to Solzhenitsyn’s Letter to the Sobor in Jordanville): “However paradoxical it is, it is precisely the part of the Russian Church in the diaspora that ‘went over to the Greeks’ or ‘became American,’ precisely it that has continued in the West the great Russian spiritual culture, has not hidden its talent in the earth, but has increased it. To the creativity of this Church the religious movement now being reborn in Russia turns, for there has not been any other religious-spiritual creativity in the Diaspora at all.” (Vestnik, 112-113, ii-iii, *1974, pp. 5-6.) We hope to answer that self-important question, and hope to be able to refer to your book as already published.

Is there any chance of our seeing the manuscript of your book when it’s finished? We might be able to make some suggestions based on Russian sources. There are excellent articles on Soloviev, for example; we haven’t the time to translate them, but we could translate parts if we knew there was something in them worth adding to what you already have. At any rate, we look forward to a progress report on the manuscript.

We ask your prayers for us. We have had a difficult winter with heavy snowfalls, difficult machinery, etc. But somehow we prefer our poor struggling along to all the glory of the newly-discovered “Paris Orthodoxy.”

With love in Christ our Saviour,
Seraphim, monk

Dear Father Valery [Lukianov],
Blagoslovite!

Here at last is the letter you asked me to write. I will take the opportunity to write down a few other ideas also.

The more we hear of the Jordanville Sobor (or at least the Bishops’ Sobor after everyone else left), the more discouraged we are. We still don’t understand what was the purpose of the decree on the Old Believers? The question of the canonization of Blessed Xenia was postponed, evidently (from what Vladika Nektary tells us) because it is “unimportant.” There was no support shown for the zealots of Mt. Athos who are suffering persecution for true Orthodoxy. (Our friends in Greece write us that the Old Calendarists were expecting help from us, and Patriarch Demetrius also waited to see whether our Bishops would speak out — if not, then the persecution can continue.) And the Epistles to the Paris and Metropolia groups — what feeble statements, as though the differences between us were nothing more than “jurisdictional squabbles” which can be ended with a few “negotiations” — instead of a question of confessing the truth as against going along with the spirit of the times.

Father Sergei Shukin writes us that in the decrees of the Bishops he feels the “influence of Solzhenitsyn.” Yes, we feel this too; and I remember you mentioned something like this when you visited us also. Solzhenitsyn is important as a moral force, standing up boldly in the face of tyranny, encouraging people to stop lying. This is good, but very limited; and it is obvious that Solzhenitsyn himself does not have a very deep Church consciousness. He is a kind of “confessor” — but not like St. Maximus the Confessor or St. Mark of Ephesus. He wants Russians to be united — but he probably does not even see that truth must come before unity. (And even though he is against “living by lies” — he has not yet seen the terrible lie of Schmemann and that whole fake Orthodoxy.) Thus Solz. can be a great scandal today — and really, he seems to have exerted a great influence on our Bishops. How discouraging to see the Bishops running after the world, trying to keep in “fashion.” In the 1971 Sobor Fr. Panteleimon of Boston was in “fashion”; then it was seen that due to his influence the Bishops made some mistakes at that Sobor (about the two different groups of Old Calendarists) and themselves to make the “Greek situation” worse. And so in 1974 there is a new “fashion” — Solzhenitsyn and the “spirit of reconciliation.” Meanwhile, Fr. Panteleimon has gone “out of fashion,” and Archbp. Anthony of Geneva even told him: “If you don’t like the way we do things, get out of our Church.” Of course, Fr. Panteleimon himself makes mistakes and also is a little subject to “fashions” — but at least he is sincerely trying to uphold a “zealot” position and so far has been very loyal to the Synod; he does not deserve to be “kicked out” just because he has gone out of fashion.

To sum up: the Bishops look very much like a worldly “Board of Directors” who are leading the Church according to their human understanding, not by the guidance of God. This means trouble ahead. Right now, Vlad. Anthony told us, Grabbe and Schmemann are “negotiating” — about what? About confessing the truth? Or about how to present a pleasing face to the world and look as though you are friends with everyone? If the “negotiations” succeed, are we supposed to accept the innovations and the whole false Orthodoxy of Schmemann & Co? This make us very uneasy — the ground is being dug away from beneath our feet.

And this is something like what I wanted to tell you in my little “sermon” when you visited us. One feels sorry for the Orthodox flock and wants to be as condescending as possible to their weaknesses — but first one must lead them, tell them what is right and what is expected of them, always pulling them up higher, giving them the idea that they are Orthodox not because they were born that way or belong to an Orthodox “organization” — but only IF THEY ARE STRUGGLING TO BE FAITHFUL TO THE CHURCH’S TEACHING. Orthodox shepherds today more than ever must beware of placing their hope in the “organization,” but rather must be constantly looking upwards to the Chief Shepherd Christ, to the heavenly world of God’s Truth and His Saints from which alone comes the inspiration to keep guiding the flock rightly. The shepherd cannot be just a filler of “treby” for people who are “automatically” Orthodox because they belong to the organization; but he must be warning them that THEY CAN LOSE THE SAVOR OF ORTHODOXY if they are not looking upward and struggling. Bishop Theophan the Recluse already foresaw this losing of the savor of Orthodoxy and was terribly upset that no one around him seemed to see this — that it was already happening in the 19th century, and how much more today!

We ourselves are blessed to have a quiet life and no “parish problems,” and therefore we cher-ish all the more this ideal. If we had to live in San Francisco and adjust to the parish life there, I fear we should become terribly discouraged. But here we have the wilderness to inspire us, and as we look around us we can freely think of cave-dwellers and the magnificent freedom which is the true Orthodox life (within the framework of self-renunciation). It is much more difficult in the world to do this — and that is why we wish you to be constantly LIVING IN THE HEAVENLY WORLD, and only secondly to be “living the life of your flock.”

We feel very much the dangers ahead of us: true Orthodoxy can be swallowed up by half-hearted Orthodoxy, which is actually only a stage on the path to fake Orthodoxy (Constantinople, Metropolia, etc.). The schism of Evlogy and the Metropolia was a blessing from God, because it cut off many rotten members, the fake intelligentsia that wants to make a new Orthodoxy. The talk now of “reconciliation” with these groups shows that within our Church true Orthodoxy is in danger of being lost.

About another subject: we have not forgotten about the idea of the Psalter. It is a good idea, and several converts to whom we have mentioned it are enthusiastic. But we still do not quite see how (practically speaking) to bring it about. The commentary, however, should be in English also (I think you mentioned only Russian?) — it will be more popular among converts than Russians. It may be that one of our California “convert publishers” (Nikodemos and Eastern Orthodox Books) will be able to help with publishing it, Can you send the commentary of Vladika Demetry? I could probably translate it on tape without too much difficulty and someone else could transcribe it. Do you have any new ideas about printing it? We can expect little support from Church groups — best to do it first and let them realize its importance later. Offset would be best, but for that we need copies of the texts of the right size. What do you think? (The English Psalter from Boston isn’t ready yet — a few months more, they say.) The man who runs Eastern Orthodox Books (Vladimir Anderson, my godson) can get offset printing done very cheaply — we are sending you separately his edition of St. Macarius the Great, which is quite good except for the binding — but for a little more money we can have the book sewn instead of “perfect bound” (glued). In fact, if we could get the text ready for offset, he might even be able to take the whole printing job himself, as one of his editions — but with your preface. Below is a sketch of how the pages might look. It’s a good idea, but it won’t go over at first — we must all push it, and then it might catch on.

Please forgive my “teachiness” and self-assurance. Please pray for us. We have had difficulties with our machines, as usual in winter. We had a warm January, and then suddenly 4 feet of snow, which has been a little difficult. But now spring looks close again.

With love in Christ,
Seraphim, monk

Dear Sister in Christ, Barbara [Murray],

Greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ. I believe we never thanked you for your Christmas gift. We opened it on Christmas day in the “Tsars Room” and immediately put it on the analogion in the corner; it is most beautiful.

John’s visit to us enabled us to get to know him fairly well, which we hadn’t done before. The boy is much brighter than we suspected, and is obviously far ahead of his class in most subjects. He reads quite a bit, and in general knowledge is quite aware. At times with us, especially when talking with me at night, he “relaxed” and became quite a normal boy, interested in many things, anxious to please, happy to talk seriously about the things that interest him (which are many). But at other times, especially with everyone present, he would revert to his “old self”: stubborn, disobedient or grudgingly obedient, putting on his act of “I’ll do as I please.” Obviously his whole home situation has deeply wounded him, and he is prepared to get his “revenge” on life by not cooperating with people. If he could “straighten out,” he could be very good; if he doesn’t, he will doubtless be very bad and will harm people in life.

Probably his being with you is the best thing for him right now. It is good that you are strict with him as much as you can be; I could tell that he had a proper fear and respect when you take away his “bicycle rights,” and in general he seems to realize that you are fair with him. He seemed to enjoy it with us very much (he even got to chop down his first Christmas tree!) and already talked about his next visit; we told him that would depend on his behavior in Etna, and he promised to make some effort at improvement. I suspect this improvement, if it really comes, will be only gradual, or even in fits and starts; but if he does make some effort there is hope for him. If he has our Skete in mind as a kind of “reward” for his behavior, this idea may help him too. You are doing a very important thing in giving him a home at this important time of his life; may God reward you for your efforts and patience, and give you the wisdom to handle him.

By the way, Alexey has told us that you and he were shocked when Nina told you that we sup-posedly had told her that we were against John’s staying with you in the first place; but this was a bad misunderstanding on her part. We had told her that Maria Kraft was making a bad mistake in thinking that once she is “rid” of her children she can then begin to think about a convent and real “spiritual life” — because if one does not recognize that one’s spiritual struggle begins right now with whatever God has given us (and all the more if we ourselves have gotten into a difficult situation!), we will not begin the “spiritual life” later, either. And so, if Maria only knew, her salvation could lie in her suffering through the raising of her own children; but if she doesn’t suffer this through, then later on, when she thinks to be starting real “spiritual life,” she’ll find she has nothing at all, and “spiritual life” which begins after we are rid of present problems is only an abstraction. I think all this is true — but the spiritual benefit of “suffering through” comes only if one voluntarily accepts it, and the fact remains that Maria really wants to be rid of John, which he knows or feels. For the good of the boy, it is obviously much better that he be with you; if he were to go back to his mother now, I think there would be no hope whatever for him to turn out good. The two younger boys, being so “extrovert,” will be harmed much less than would John, who is already so turned in on himself.

Alexey has told us something of the difficulties and sufferings of your “fragile” Orthodox com-munity. This suffering is the material of which a real Orthodox life is built! In general the feeling of being “abandoned” is present almost everywhere among true Orthodox Christians today; but our contact with each other is already a source of strength and encouragement.

Please pray for us. With love in Christ our Saviour, and may He grant you His grace.

S. M.